So I am attempting to do a thing

[Zabhawkin]

I know politics are generally a no no but due to things happening that pissed me off and not liking the direction things were headed, I am running for a position on the board of our local electric coop.

Typically I am the type that is perfectly happy being off to the side playing with my toys wanting to just be left alone. Up until someone comes along and doesn't let me do my thing.

So wish me luck, both on getting elected and actually being able to influence things.

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[WildhavenMI]

Good luck! Genuinely.

I'm building a house right now, and looking to place a ground mount solar array large enough to off-grid (once I can afford all the batteries ). I have 17 acres, and the zoning ordinance will only allow me to place a ground mounted solar array "with a total PV array size not to exceed 200 sqft".

An obvious anti-solar law, and I'm going to bash right into it willingly. I've already raised the issue with the zoning board politely, and requested a variance or a revisitation of the ordinance. I've gotten some traction so I don't feel the need to make a bigger stink yet, but I'm reserving the right to just do it anyway and go legal with the fight.

 

[SolarWizard]

Most AHJs include utilities within the permitting. Is that referenced where you are?

 

[WildhavenMI]

Most AHJs include utilities within the permitting. Is that referenced where you are?

In my case, my utility is significantly more permissive than my township zoning ordinances- the township being my AHJ I'm this instance. The township did some stuff to try to keep a solar farm out and succeeded, but also basically killed rooftop solar at the same time. They grandfathered in existing systems so nobody raised too much of a stink, until me.

 

[jerhenderson]

Good luck! Genuinely.

I'm building a house right now, and looking to place a ground mount solar array large enough to off-grid (once I can afford all the batteries ). I have 17 acres, and the zoning ordinance will only allow me to place a ground mounted solar array "with a total PV array size not to exceed 200 sqft".

An obvious anti-solar law, and I'm going to bash right into it willingly. I've already raised the issue with the zoning board politely, and requested a variance or a revisitation of the ordinance. I've gotten some traction so I don't feel the need to make a bigger stink yet, but I'm reserving the right to just do it anyway and go legal with the fight.

good luck !!!

 

[JBee]

Good luck! Genuinely.

I'm building a house right now, and looking to place a ground mount solar array large enough to off-grid (once I can afford all the batteries ). I have 17 acres, and the zoning ordinance will only allow me to place a ground mounted solar array "with a total PV array size not to exceed 200 sqft".

An obvious anti-solar law, and I'm going to bash right into it willingly. I've already raised the issue with the zoning board politely, and requested a variance or a revisitation of the ordinance. I've gotten some traction so I don't feel the need to make a bigger stink yet, but I'm reserving the right to just do it anyway and go legal with the fight.

No chance of putting it on your house roof or shed? Or are they in the wrong orientation?

For affordable batteries look at EG4 Lifepo4 and check out the MPP Solar pip-max series inverters that can also operate in batteryless mode during the day. At least like that you have an option to run higher power gear directly from solar when its sunny without breaking the bank on batteries. The other part is to maximise your solar, as much as the inverter can handle, that way you get some sort of charge every day, and if you run big loads during the day as well, it means you can make do with a smaller battery that just lasts for essentials overnight. Higher latitudes obviously are an issue with weather etc. But generally if you can't charge it you can't use it regardless of how big your battery is.

You can also use SAM from NREL for modelling performance etc.

 

[fritter63]

Good luck! Genuinely.

I'm building a house right now, and looking to place a ground mount solar array large enough to off-grid (once I can afford all the batteries ). I have 17 acres, and the zoning ordinance will only allow me to place a ground mounted solar array "with a total PV array size not to exceed 200 sqft".

Just make sure they're beefy. Here's what mine were doing yesterday in the "Bomb Cyclone"....... (never seen it like that before).

 

[HaulingAss]

Just make sure they're beefy. Here's what mine were doing yesterday in the "Bomb Cyclone"....... (never seen it like that before).

I assume they are engineered to withstand winds up to a particular range of wind speeds, no? It looks to me like it was only gusting to 60 mph, or so.

Are those mounted on mono piers because they are tracking arrays? I thought PV had become so cheap it made more sense to simply over-install fixed panels facing a range of directions and not worry about maintaining tracking hardware.

 

[SSonnentag]

No chance of putting it on your house roof or shed? Or are they in the wrong orientation?

For affordable batteries look at EG4 Lifepo4 and check out the MPP Solar pip-max series inverters that can also operate in batteryless mode during the day. At least like that you have an option to run higher power gear directly from solar when its sunny without breaking the bank on batteries. The other part is to maximise your solar, as much as the inverter can handle, that way you get some sort of charge every day, and if you run big loads during the day as well, it means you can make do with a smaller battery that just lasts for essentials overnight. Higher latitudes obviously are an issue with weather etc. But generally if you can't charge it you can't use it regardless of how big your battery is.

You can also use SAM from NREL for modelling performance etc.

The one on the left looks pretty stable, but the right one seems to have a fair bit of slop in the mounting hardware.

 

[fritter63]

The one on the left looks pretty stable, but the right one seems to have a fair bit of slop in the mounting hardware.

My thoughts exactly.... just haven't found it yet.

 

[fritter63]

I assume they are engineered to withstand winds up to a particular range of wind speeds, no? It looks to me like it was only gusting to 60 mph, or so.

Are those mounted on mono piers because they are tracking arrays? I thought PV had become so cheap it made more sense to simply over-install fixed panels facing a range of directions and not worry about maintaining tracking hardware.

yes, gusting to 60 MPH I think. They did have a tornado (official now) down in LA, but that is 200 miles away.

They are definitely engineered for wind loads, footings are 3 foot diameter x 7 feet deep, poles are 8" diameter. So I was quite surprised to see (heard it first!) it doing that.

Angle didn't help either. Tilted at 35 for the winter, but yesterday should have been the day (equinox) to re-position to 15 degrees. But I'm recovering from surgery and plus the weather has kept us from getting up there.

Yes, when we did the install, even in 2010, the analysis was better to add more panels than pay for solar tracking. So these are a compromise, they have one axis of tilt, and it's done manually at the equinoxes So 15 degrees for summer, 35 for winter. About a 10% increase in output. It's a two person job (one to remove and reposition the bolts and one to pull on the chain to perform the tilt). I need to come up with an "old age" strategy for doing that once JR is gone and we're too old to handle it ourselves. I've though about a boat winch, etc.

So something is loose I think, just need to find it. A visual inspection looks good. It could just be a whole bunch of "slightly loose" that adds up.

 

[fritter63]

@HaulingAss @SSonnentag

Culprit identified. Center pivot bolt on the beam was not torqued down, visible light between the members!

It is VERY tight now.....

@Zabhawkin apologies for hijacking your thread, back to the OT!

 

[WildhavenMI]

No chance of putting it on your house roof or shed? Or are they in the wrong orientation?

Not enough space, and given the height off the ground of the roof (a large colonial) I'd rather not deal with roof-mounted panels. Especially considering that I have no shortage of ground space.

The animal barn has its own rooftop microgrid/battery and uses little power, but the shop barn...might just go on its own power as well. I've been kicking around the idea of using it to test a multi-medium battery set with some LiPo, LI, and old Lead Acids - with a SolArk in the middle.

I work in the solar industry, and like to fiddle with these things.

 

[Zabhawkin]

@HaulingAss @SSonnentag

Culprit identified. Center pivot bolt on the beam was not torqued down, visible light between the members!

It is VERY tight now.....

@Zabhawkin apologies for hijacking your thread, back to the OT!

No problem it was an interesting discussion and I am expecting dealing with the solar installations to be one of the more difficult things. Silly contracts with the power supplier, and an already bad reputation with the localish installers.

 

[fritter63]

No problem it was an interesting discussion and I am expecting dealing with the solar installations to be one of the more difficult things. Silly contracts with the power supplier, and an already bad reputation with the localish installers.

since you got enough sun, maybe consider just going off grid with some power walls? They got some crazy power now .... 400 w/panel!

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